https://iprj.guilan.ac.ir/ Plant Pest Research en daily 1 Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://iprj.guilan.ac.ir/article_9389.html For the mass, optimal and high-efficiency rearing of predators an appropriate food can have a significant impact on reducing production costs and biological characteristics of predators. In the present study, the chemical composition of pollens from different plant species, including sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), pear (Pyrus boissieriana L.), sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.), and musk willow (Salix aegyptica L.) were investigated. The effects of the mentioned pollens on the biological characteristics and predation rate of the predatory mite Neoseiulus cucumeris (Oudemans) was studied. Experiments were conducted under controlled conditions of temperature (25 ± 2 °C), relative humidity (60 ± 5%), and photoperiod (16:8 h light: dark). The chemical composition of the pollens was analyzed using the Kjeldahl, Soxhlet, and HPLC methods. The results revealed significant differences in nutritional composition among the examined pollens. Sunflower pollen contained the highest levels of protein (13.88%), lipids (4.92%), and the sugars glucose, fructose, and sucrose, while sour cherry pollen showed the lowest levels of these components. Life table and predation rate analyses indicated that mites fed on sunflower pollen exhibited the highest fecundity (35.55 eggs per female), intrinsic rate of increase (r = 0.134 day⁻¹), and net predation rate (C₀ = 354.21 prey). In contrast, pear pollen had the least effect on predator growth and performance. These findings demonstrate that the nutritional quality of plant pollens, particularly their protein and sugar contents, significantly affects the biological performance and predatory efficiency of N. cucumeris. Therefore, sunflower pollen can be recommended as a suitable food source for mass-rearing programs and for enhancing populations of this predator in biological pest control.. https://iprj.guilan.ac.ir/article_9433.html The red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Col.: Dryophthoridae), is key pest of date palm trees. In field conditions, the aggregation pheromone of this pest alone does not sufficiently attractive, so the parenchymal tissue of the date palm trunk commonly used as a plant bait alongside the pheromone. Therefore, identifying an inexpensive and stable synthetic compound to replace the natural bait is essential. To evaluate the efficacy of ethyl acetate, three field experiments were conducted. Initially, the performance of traps containing (1) pheromone, (2) ethyl acetate, (3) pheromone+ethyl acetate, and (4) an unbaited control was evaluated. In the second experiment, different amounts of plant‑based bait derived from the parenchymal tissue of the date palm trunk (200, 500, and 1500 g) and three doses of ethyl acetate (450, 850, and 1630 mg day⁻¹) were compared. In the third experiment, insect preference for pheromone versus ethyl acetate was examined using paired traps placed 0.5 m apart. Treatments included paired traps baited with (1) ethyl acetate in both traps, (2) pheromone in both traps, (3) pheromone+ethyl acetate simultaneously in both traps, and (4) pheromone in one trap and ethyl acetate in the other. The results showed that combining the aggregation pheromone with ethyl acetate produced a synergistic effect. No significant differences were observed among the tested doses of ethyl acetate. In paired‑trap comparisons, capture rates in pheromone‑baited traps were significantly higher than those in traps containing ethyl acetate. This preference suggests that ethyl acetate attracts red palm weevils from longer distances and guides them toward pheromone traps. Ethyl acetate can be used as an effective synthetic synergistic kairomone to improve the efficiency of pheromone traps and reduce practical limitations in mass‑trapping programs. https://iprj.guilan.ac.ir/article_9450.html In this study, the impact of the simultaneous foliar application of salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) was assessed on phenolic compounds, chlorophyll, carotenoids, and infestation rates at various developmental stages of the olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae). This evaluation were conducted across three olive cultivars, including ‘Amigdalipholia’, ‘Fishomi’, and ‘Kalamata’, at the olive research station orchard loctated in Rudbar, Guilan Province, over two experimental years (2021–2022). The experiment was carried out using a factorial design that incorporated cultivar, treatment, and year. The treatments included jasmonic acid at concentrations of 1 and 2 mg L⁻¹, paired with salicylic acid at 1 and 2 mM, in addition to an untreated control. Fruit samples were collected at various growth stages, and infestation levels were documented at the egg, larval instars, and pupal stages. The application of the higher doses of both acids resulted in the most significant increase in total phenolic content, chlorophyll, and carotenoids in healthy fruits. For the infested fruits, this treatment also caused a notable decrease in infestation during the immature stages of the pest. Among the cultivars examined, ‘Amigdalipholia’ exhibited the most pronounced response to the treatments applied. A negative correlation was noted between the rise in phenolic and antioxidant compounds and the infestation by the olive fruit fly, indicating that the enhancement of these biochemical traits may aid in fruit resistance. The results of this study suggest that the combined use of SA and JA is an effective environmentally friendly strategy for improving host resistance and managing olive fruit fly populations in olive orchards. https://iprj.guilan.ac.ir/article_9462.html During 2024-2025, fauna of mites associated with kiwi vines were investigated in Guilan province, Northern Iran. Kiwi leaves were collected from kiwi orchards in different regions of Guilan province and mites on the leaves were separated in the laboratory. In this study, totally 22 species belonging to 3 orders, 14 families, and 21 genera were collected and identified. Three species Cunaxoides croceus, Cunaxoides decastroae, and Eotetranychus pruni are recorded from Guilan province and all species are reported for the first time from Iranian kiwi orchards. The list of identified species based on order and family is as follows.Order Trombidiformes, Bdellidae: Cyta latirostris (Hermann); Spinibdella cronini (Baker & Balock); Cunaxidae: Cunaxoides croceus (Koch); Cunaxoides decastroae Den Heyer; Raphignatidae: Raphignatus gracilis (Rack); Stigmaeidae: Cheylostigmaeus guilaniensis Hajizadeh et al.; Tarsonemidae: Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks); Tenuipalpidae: Brevipalpus obovatus Donnadieu; Tetranychidae: Eotetranychus pruni (Oudemans); Tetranychus urticae Koch; Trombidiidae: Allothrombium pulvinum Ewing; Order: Mesostigmata, Blattisociidae: Blattisocius tarsalis (Berlese); Lasioseius parberlesei Bhattacharyya; Ologamasidae: Gamasiphis lanceolatus Karg; Parasitidae: Eugamasus berlesei (Willmann, 1935); Trachygamasus ambulacralis (Willmann, 1949); Phytoseiidae: Amblyseius herbicolus Chant; Neoseiulus umbraticus (Chant); Transeius wainsteini (Gomelauri); Phytoseius finitimus Ribaga; Rhodacaridae: Multidentorhodacarus denticulatus (Berlese); Order Sarcoptiformes, Astigmata, Acaridae: Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank). https://iprj.guilan.ac.ir/article_9505.html The present study was designed to evaluate the impact of minimal thermal stress on some reproductive activities of the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner, 1813). Adults at ages of one, three, and five days were exposed to a temperature of 44°C for 18 minutes. The results indicated a significant effect of thermal stress on male insects. The highest and lowest fertility were observed in three-day-old insects in the control and heat-stressed males (144.4 and 16 eggs respectively), representing approximately a 90% reduction in egg production. Additionally, the fecundity rate in the control treatment was 88±2%, while the lowest value in the heat-stressed male treatment was 42±12%. Heat treatments had no effect on mating frequency but influenced the duration of mating in 3-day-old insects. Furthermore, heat stress resulted in a 40-50% reduction in attraction to pheromone traps in wind tunnel. For instance, in the control and one-day-old heat-stressed male treatments, attraction rates were reported as 96.67 ± 3.3% and 53.33 ± 3.3%, respectively. According to the obtained results, the simultaneous 90% reduction in fertility and 58% reduction in egg hatching in the heat-stressed male treatment compared to the control led to a 96% decrease in net progeny. The results indicated that applying sublethal heat stress to adult Indian meal moths can disrupt reproductive activities and meanwhile reduce the number of offspring produced. https://iprj.guilan.ac.ir/article_9508.html The almond seed wasp, Eurytoma amygdali Enderlein, is one of the most important pests of almond trees in Iran. This pest damages the crop by feeding on the kernels and causing premature fruit drop. Chemical control of this pest is difficult and costly due to the presence of larvae inside the hard shell of the fruit for most of the year and the gradual exit of adult insects, so other control methods are necessary. In this study, to identify parasitoids associated with the almond seed wasp and determine their relative abundance, fallen fruits from cultivated and wild almond trees, infested fruits during the growing season, and infested fruits remaining on trees at the end of the season were collected from various orchards in East Azerbaijan Province during 2022-2024. In the laboratory, infested almond fruits were placed in cylindrical plastic containers covered with fine mesh and kept under observation until parasitoid emergence.  In this study four parasitoid species associated with the almond seed wasp were collected and identified including Gugolzia bademia Doğanlar (Pteromalidae), Aprostocetus bucculentus (Kostjukov) (Eulophidae), Eurytoma paramygdali Zerova & Fursov (Eurytomidae) and Exeristes roborator (Fabricius) (Ichneumonidae). Among them, E. paramygdali is reported here for the first time from Iran. E. roborator, previously recorded from Turkey as a parasitoid of the almond seed wasp, was reared for the first time from this host in Iran. A. bucculentus, with a relative abundance of 44.4%, was the dominant parasitoid species in the samplings, indicating its high potential for the biological control of almond seed wasp